Ore-separator.



s. LA sHELLs. OBE BBPARATOB. APIPLIOATION FILED AUG. 21, 1907.

Pmzenfmmy 18, 1909.

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W. S. LA SHELLS- ou sBPABATon.

I y PPLIUATION FILED AUG. 21, 1907.

922, 1 63 Patented May 18, 1909.

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i gravel and as a considerable water.

WILLIAM SOMMERS LA lSHELLS, OF BENIGIA, CALIFORNIA.

ORE-SEPARATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 18, 1909.

Application led August 21, 1907. Serial No. 389,516.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VILLIAM S. LA SHnLLs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Benicia, in the county of Solano and State of California, havel invented a new and useful Ore-Separator, of which the following is a specification.,

This invention relates to ore separators and is particularly designed for use in placer mining for the purpose of separating all the finer material from the larger material irrespective of their specific gravities.

Heretofore in placer mining it has been customary to use riflies of various forms for the purpose of concentrating the gold or heavy sands or metals. The use of these riflies necessitates the employment of a large quantity of' water in order to move the heavy result a large portion of the concentrate is often washed from one rittle to another and finally from the end of the sluice so that only the heaviest portions of the values remain. In the use of screens or grizzlies it has been found necessary to employ mechanism for revolving or vibrating the same because otherwise said screens or grizzlies become packed or clogged. N here screens are used the water is dropped on to the material as it passes over the screens and the small values pass through the various screens of dierent mesh until the heavier material is thus separated and concentrated. i

Obviously this arrangement of parts requires large space and power and the use of The grizzlies unless revolving must be placed at an acute angle so that the rocks may slide from them by gravity. This, however, necessitates the use of a natural or mechanical dump.

The object of the present invention is to provide a separator which dispenses with riitles and with all the machinery such as usually employed in connection with ore separators.

A still further object is to provide a separator which can be readily set up and which regi `res no attention after it has once been placed in condition for use.

With t-hese and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described a-nd pointed out in the claim.

1n the accompanying drawings is shown the preferred form of the invention.

In said drawings: Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section through a separator embodying the present improvements. Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof, a portion of the device being broken away. Fig. 3 is a transverse section. Fig. 4- is a perspective detail view of the modified form of false bottom which maybe employed in lieu of that shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of another form of bottom. Fig. 6 is a per" spective detail fragmentary view of a portion of the false bottom shown in Fig. 5.

Referring to the figures reference, 1, 1 designate the sides of the sluice and 2 designates the bottom thereof, said bottom and sides being placed at a. slight incline so that water and the values carried thereby will be free to flow from one end to the other of the sluice. The bottom 2 is preferably formed with a longitudinal discharge slit or channel 3 disposed above an auxiliary sluice il extending longitudinally beneath the main sluice and designed to hold a plurality of trays 5 containing quick silver whereby gold deposited within the auxiliary sluice will be amalgamated. As indicated at Fig. 3 the bottom 2 of the main sluice is preferably inclinedrtoward the opening 8 and arranged upon this bottom are supporting cleats 6 preferably extending longitudinally within the sluice. rFliese cleats may be formed with openings 7 whereby water can freely flow laterally within the sluice and arranged upon the cleats is a false bottom S which may be of wire fabric but which is preferably formed of perforated sheet metal. The separator herein described is designed particularly to separate black sand which is composed of various metals so as to save gold, platinum, and other valuable minerals. rhe gravel or sand is supplied to the upper end of the sluice, being carried thereto by a water current. rFhe material glides or slides over the smooth false bottom S and those particles which are smaller than the perforations in the false bottom drop therethrough by gravity on to the bottom Q. The water also flows through the apertures and forms an undercurrent between the bottom 2 and the false bottom 8 which acts to wash these small particles toward the central slit or opening 3 and into the auxiliary sluice 4. Here the gold will become anialgamated by the quicksilver contained within the trays 5 while the remaining concentrates will pass outward from the auxiliary sluice and may be directedon to a concentrating table or by characters of other suitable device for the purpose of prop'- erly separating them. The movement oi' the heavier gravel along the false bottom 8 vibrates said bottom sutliciently to prevent the perforations from becoming clogged.

It will be seen that by providii'ig a separator such as herein described it becomes unnecessary to employ any working parts or to utilize riiies for the purpose of collecting values. The finer particles are precipitated irrespective of their values, through the false bottom and out of the path of the main current of water and into the under current formed below the false bottom and which is merely suilicient to precipitate the concentrates into the auxiliary sluice. All of the values can thus be saved and after the device has once been set up its use can be continued indeiinitely without requiring any attention.

As heretofore stated the sand and gravel i are carried to the upper end of the sluice by a water current and the water passes downward through the false bottom to form an undercurrent which is merely sutlicient to precipitate into the sluice the concentrates passing through the false bottom. Inasmuch as the current required to supply the separator with sand and gravel must be stronger than a current designed to merely precipitate the concentrates it will be apparent that the larger particles passing over the false bottom will not be held or sucked against the walls of the opening in the false bottom with the same force as where the velocities of both the mani and under currents remain the same.

Instead of supporting the perforated false bottom 8 upon the cleats 6, as shown in Fig. 2, the bottom may be provided along its opposite longitudinal edges with a plurality of Lshaped hangers 9, in this instance six in number, one member of each of which is secured to the bottom as by rivets 10, and the other member of which is provided with a longitudinal slot ll to receive a bolt, the

bolts that engage the series of hangers being screwed into the sides of the sluice box and the slots permitting a limited range of vertical adjustment to the bottom, whereby to meet different contingencies that might arise in the treatment of the ores.

ln the form of invention shown in Fig. l5, nat steel bars 12 are employed instead of -the perforated false bottom 8, for the same purpose. These bars rest upon cleats 18 that correspond to the cleats 6 and carry pins lll by which the bars are held spaced the proper distance apart. As will be obvious, the spaces formed between the opposed edges o the bars may be varied by increasing or diminishing the diameter of the pins.

lVhat is claimed is:

An ore separator comprising an inclined sluice having a central longitudinal outlet slot in the bottom thereof, said bottom being inclined downwardly toward said slot, parallel longitudinally extending cleats upon the bottom and between the slot and the side walls of the sluice, each of said cleats having` openings therethrough for the passage of liquids, an apertured false bottom parallel, in the direction of its length, with the inclined bottom, said talsebottomv being disposed entirely between the side walls Y of the sluice, the slotted bottom, the cleats7 and the false bottom cooperating to produceM a current there-between of reduced velocity as compared to a current above the false bottom, andan inclined auxiliary sluice below the slot in the bottom and designed to receive water from said slot, the auxiliary sluice being open solely at its ends.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM SOMMERS LA SHELLS.

Vitnesses: Y

O'r'ro Gr. TRAUTZ, A. F. LA SHELLS. 

